Private Schools Association of Malawi (Prisam) has announced plans to launch Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCO) which seeks to help its members in times of forced school closures during pandemics.
This is according Prisam president Amon Ntafya who was speaking on Friday after launching the association’s Lilongwe chapter which he said will help to improve education standard in the capital city’s private schools.
Mtafya was so quick to admit that private schools and the entire staff suffer a lot during forced school closures in times of pandemics saying they are financially in dependant.
He said the fact that private schools rely on direct money from students themselves in form of school fees, translates to financial challenges especially when schools are on a forced break.
The Prisam president gave examples of cholera outbreak and the recent cyclone Freddy as the true definition of the real suffering the private schools community experience during outbreaks.
He then mentioned that the launching of private school SACCO will help private schools and staff members in the country to remain financially stable even when schools are closed t due to pandemics.
“As private schools, we are financial in dependant because we rely on the learners and with the cyclone earlier and the cholera outbreak, we know there will be financial challenges as we go along.
“So, we are here to mobilise private school owners to join Prisam because very soon we are launching a private school SACCO which we feel will enrich them in terms of financial hiccups,” said Ntafya.
Ntafya further encouraged private school owners to psychologically prepare candidates of this year’s examinations so as to minimise cases of cheating and other malpractices in private schools.
Newly appointed Chairperson of Prisam Lilongwe chapter Chimwemwe Kumwenda, thanked the Prisam leadership for extending the association to the capital city which he said will really improve and promote private education.
Kumwenda then wooed private school owners in the city to join the association saying their are more benefits that awaits those private schools.
In a separate interview, Jack Mande who is Director of New Generation Private Schools, expressed excitement for the coming of the association in the capital city of Lilongwe.
Mande said the introduction of private schools SACCO will help in boosting the financial muscle of most private schools and staff members during forced school closures.
Meanwhile, the association says preparations to launch Mzuzu chapter this year are at an advanced stage.
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